Even Rose's have Thorns
by rmills-rhood
Summary: Regina and Robin know little of their past and find out quickly that there is a lot more to them than they once thought after Robin crosses the town line. They must band together to save their family, before it's too late. Takes place after 4x12. Rated M for later chapters. I hope you all enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

_"This way, love." He leads her gently by her arm to a secluded area near the back of his woods. She can still hear the men back at camp laughing and talking and clinking their cups together. He stops at the entrance of a small cave and turns to her, smiling "This is it."_

 _She nods nervously as he turns back and continues walking. Suddenly all of the noise stops, there is silence. He stops walking again and places his hands on her arm "Ok, we're here." He says as he begins to remove the mask shielding her eyes._

 _She giggles as the felt falls from her face and looks at him, his face bright in the dimly lit grotto. That's when she notices the candles._

 _They're everywhere, on every surface that isn't covered by colorful blankets and handcrafted pillows. She'd never know it was a cave if it weren't for the obvious dampness of the walls. She moves past him and towards a particularly bright throw pillow leaning against a mess of others._

 _"I know this isn't a palace or anything that you're used to but we – I wanted you to be comfortable." She turns to him, pillow in hand, stunned. She shakes her head "This." Spinning around the room, admiring the detail that he and his men had obviously put a lot of work into "This is amazing. Magnificent!"  
and he can see the gleam in her eyes and wants to stop her but knows that it's impossible. Knows how she feels about everyone accepting her into their family of squatters without even knowing her well. _

_So this has to be the icing on the cake that has made her cry countless times before._

 _And besides, even if she fought it hard enough, they both know that her hormones have a mind of their own now._

 _She sighs in utter disbelief "Robin." She whispers as she practically runs to him and he is there to embrace her as soon as she reaches his outstretched arms. She pulls away and places her hand to his face, mouth open but unable to muster up any words. He just smiles, takes her hand and kisses it gently "I know you never got your chance to really be Queen and you say it doesn't matter to you.." she shakes her head "It doesn't!" he nods "I know but that doesn't mean that you weren't destined to be one. And this is no grand kingdom, my merrymen aren't the_ humblest _of servants, but as long as I love you and as long as I live you will be royalty;_ my _queen." And then their lips are meeting in a warm kiss. They pull away and she places her head against his chest, inhaling his scent and falling in love with the smell of forest all over again. It isn't the same musky scent that Lil John or Will Scarlet give off when they embrace her but different. It reminds her of the natural smell of pine and the cool mist that falls over the camp early in the morning when everyone else is sleeping._

 _E It reminds her of Daddy before Mother began forcing him to use a more "fitting cologne for a royal" when she was a child. And she smirks to herself then, thinking about everything that she'd had to do up to that point to have this._ Look at me now, mother _she thinks. Fleeing the kingdom and breaking her vows to Leopold to follow her soul mate, letting go of her first love Daniel, leaving her vengeance for the young girl that'd sentenced him to death behind, she'd done it without the power her mother swore she'd need to survive and it had all been worth it. She still can't get used to bathing in the river and would definitely prefer her bed back home to the tent that she and Robin stay in but waking up every morning to see the sun rising above her and feeling his arms wrapped around her, holding her tight even in his sleep as if she were as light as a feather and would blow away if he let her go, it's worth every sacrifice._

 _She lifts her head from his chest and looks up at him just as she feels two tiny kicks. She giggles and places both hands on her swollen belly, two more reasons that everything had been worth it._

 _"I think they love it too." she says with a smile. Robin places his larger hands over hers "I think that my boys would both rather stay out in the woods with their papa, wrestling bears and what not."_

 _She shakes her head "You still think its two boys, huh?" Robin nods "And you a boy and a girl?" "A mother's instinct is never wrong." Robin raises an eyebrow at her and shrugs "Well a fathers intuition seldom waivers." She rolls her eyes playfully "I'd beg to differ but it doesn't matter because I've already figured out a name for her."_

 _"Really and what might that name be?" she smiles to herself; it'd been so easy to choose a name for their little boy, Roland. It went well and she and Robin had agreed on it almost immediately. But the argument came when she began discussing names for a little girl and of course Robin went on a rant about how they'd never have a girl, it just wasn't written in the stars. But she could tell, so she let him believe what he wanted and in due time she'd be able to prove him wrong. There was still the problem of the name. She knew Robin could never agree with any name she'd picked out so she brainstormed on her own and after going over all of the "R" names she could think of, to keep up with the tradition, she'd finally come up with it._

 _"Rosalie." She whispers up to him "Rose for short." Robin's smile spreads across his face as he repeats the name to himself "Robin, Regina, Roland, and Rosalie." He looks down at her "If we were having a girl I'd love that name for her." He jokes "Good thing we are." And then their laughing and then kissing and soon their testing out just how soft the pillows and throws make the cave floor and Robin thinks Regina really likes them because they spend the rest of the day christening each piece of fabric and for once he doesn't hear one complaint from her, just the soft cries of his name bouncing off of the walls; music to his ears._

 _They finish up, both of them too tired from rolling around to move. Robin grabs a purple quilt and drapes it over the both of them before placing his hand on her bare belly. Pretty soon she'd be too far along for them to fool around like this but he decides that he can care less. There will be plenty of time for that after the babies are born. He pulls her into him and kisses her forehead gently "My love." He whispers the same way he had their first night together. She can feel his warm, strong hand positioned on her stomach, his thumb circling the same spot over and over "Roland." He says and then he pauses, smiles into her hair "Rose." He whispers finally before falling asleep._

 _Regina has never felt happier, more protected, more loved in her life. Knows that soon there will be two little Hood's squished in between them and she has never been more ready for anything._

 _Soon she will be able to see Robin hold their two children the same way he holds her. See just how much he loves her through the two of them, because they are a product of it. Soon she will have a little boy with deep set dimples and a little girl with eyes as blue as the sea, just like their father; her love. And everything she loves about him and their moments together, the moment that they're sharing then, will be amplified times two._

 _She has never loved like she loves her Robin, like she loves her unborn children. Everything has been worth it, will always be worth it and she feels like the luckiest person in all of the realms. Who ever said you needed magic and a crown to be loved, in control, powerful?_

Look at me now, mother _she thinks before drifting off and joining Robin in slumber._

Regina doesn't know why she finds herself in the forest, in the spot where she and Robin had shared their first kiss of all places. She'd been back there a couple of times after he'd left and she'd promised herself that she wouldn't go back again. Wouldn't put herself through that again but she has some free time for once and the tug of war that the villains and heroes are playing with her has got her so tired and fed up and missing _him_.

She knows what he would say if he were there, _"follow your heart, love"_ but for some reason she can hear him louder when she's in the forest. So she convinces herself that she needs some fresh air, grabs page 23 out of the draw in her office and heads to their spot.

She has some of his things; a vest, a shirt, the gold tipped arrow he'd received from her as a reward during the missing year, but that one area brings back memories and smells and sounds that not even being in her vault can dig up. She stands in the center and puts her head up to the sky, holds their fate to her heart, and breathes in and out. Tries to feel him out among the trees and the birds and rustling of woodland creatures. He is always present in the forest.

She smiles when she hears him say "Regina." As if her name is an omen, a prayer and he is suddenly so close to her. Not just in the trees anymore but actually there with her, physically. She lets her head down slowly and opens her eyes and there he is standing in front of her, as real as the ground beneath her feet.

She's stunned at first, snaps her eyes shut just to make sure she isn't hallucinating. She opens her eyes again and he is still standing there, smiling at her in disbelief too "Regina." He whispers again and she can see his lips moving to form her name, can see that he is actually speaking to her.

"No." she whispers "You can't be real. This isn't real." Robin smiles and walks towards her "It is! I'm here. I'm real." Regina stops him with the fireball that now sits in the palm of her hand because she believes him, he is actually there but that doesn't mean he's real. It's all too good to be true "Who are you!?" she demands. Whoever is doing this is sick; to play with her emotions like this is so sick.

"It's me, Regina. It's Robin." He says gently as he stalks closer to her cautiously.

"No." she shakes her head frantically and Robin can see just how broken she is. How afraid she is and he knows that if he can just get close enough to her, if he can just touch her then she'll know it really is him. But her fireballs are deadly and to chance it when her emotions are all over the place would be stupid so he stops walking. "Robin, he's in New York with Roland and Marian. He's in New York with his family." She says it to herself, to remind herself that no matter how much she wants it to be him, it can't be. There's no way that Robin could be in Storybrooke, unless something has gone horribly wrong.

"Regina." He begs "Listen, it is me. I promise it is me. I'm here. Please."

She stares at him, or it, or whatever is standing in her midst and fights desperately to keep from crying. To keep from wanting and letting her guard down because the odds of it being him and the odds of it being a trap are 20/80. He moves like Robin, he sounds like Robin, obviously looks like Robin and the only two people that can actually successfully shape shift besides herself are Rumple and Maleficent. It can't be Mal because she's been trapped underneath the library for 30 years and doesn't know who the hell Robin is and she can't think of any reason Rumple would want to hurt her like this. Unless they've figured out that she's tricked them, that she's playing for the heroes. She shakes her head, it's all too much.

Robin can see her worry, see the little gears grinding in her head as she tries to make sense of it all, to decide whether to incinerate him or trust him "Gold brought me here." He says and Regina looks up at him, finally some answers "Well rather I rode over in Cruella's trunk. They kidnapped me from Neal's home and brought me here. I promise." And with that Regina is putting out her fire and running towards him. He could still very well be lying but she'd rather take her chances with the 20 and be wrapped in his arms then the 80 which would no doubt leave him as a pile of ash on the forest floor.

It is the moment that he touches her that she knows it's him. Every worry, every ounce of pain that his absence left melt away as he wraps his arms around her and for the first time in 6 weeks she is breathing. It's a mixture of the smell of forest and oxygen and her lungs love it so much. She doesn't ever want to let him go because if she does he could leave again but she has to, needs answers. She looks up at him, runs her hands over his face. He looks different, hasn't shaved much since he left but he is still her Robin. He smiles and kisses her fingertips as they lightly touch his lips. She wants to be wrapped in him, around him but she needs answers "Where are Roland and Marian? Are they here too?"

Robin shakes his head "No, they just took me. They've been keeping me underneath the library."

"How did you escape?" "I've been trying to escape since I got down there but today they made it all too easy so I'm guessing this is what they want." Regina steps back "Then this is a trap." Robin shrugs his shoulders "I don't care. Regina, when I crossed the town line I remembered." Now she's looking at him like he's crazy, maybe they've got him under a spell "What are you talking about?" he reaches for the photo in her hand and holds it up to her face "Page 23 happened and I remembered when I crossed the town line. Or an hour or two after I crossed the town line, otherwise I'd have tried to find some way back. Roland remembers too." Regina is shaking her head now "Robin you're being crazy, page 23 could've happened but it didn't. That's why I'm after the author. It's just something that could've been." Robin is closing the gap that she's created between them, his hands finding their place on her hips "Yes and the author is important. He made our story but it's more than just something that could've been, it really happened!"

"What are you talking about?" "Us. I remember us, we met in the Enchanted Forest, fell in love, before you became the evil queen. It really happened!" She scoffs "So then how do you explain me actually becoming the evil queen? Who took away our memories?" Robin shrugs "I don't know. All I remember is you and me fighting off King Leopold's men and then everything with Marian." He can tell that she isn't following and can also tell that if he doesn't make his point soon they're both going to get caught "Look, I know you don't understand. And there's a lot to figure out. I know you don't remember but I do. And you will too if you just come across the town line with me, we'll get Roland and go from there." Now she's angry, pushing him away "Why would I leave Storybrooke and my son to go and get Roland? He's with his mother, and as much as I want us to be a family Marian is who he belongs with."

Robin shakes his head "That's the part you aren't understanding. He doesn't belong with Marian because Marian isn't his mother." "Then who is!?" Robin steps up to her again, pulling her face up by her chin so that he is staring into her eyes and she's trying desperately to focus on the matter at hand and not at how blue they are "You are, Regina."


	2. Chapter 2

_Hide and go seek is her favorite game, mostly because she's the best at it and at that point Robin is ready to throw in the towel and call it quits when Roland runs up to him and whispers "I'll find her, Papa." He tip toes around the open area and looks around before taking a deep breath and yelling "Rose, help! I'm in trouble help!" and Rose is crawling out of a hollow log just as fast as she's spraying misty, white magic out of her palms. It misses Roland just as Regina picks him up and moves him out of the way and hits a large tree, causing it to fall over. "No!" Regina scolds as she places Roland down on the ground and bends down in front of him so that they are eye to eye "Never do that!" she reaches out and pulls Rose beside him "What did Mommy say about using magic?"_

 _Rose stares down at her boots "Only when somebody is in trouble?" "Right." Rose looks over and glares at Roland "He tricked me!" "And he will be paying the consequences for that with me." Robin says as he picks Roland up "Early bath and bed." He says sternly causing the little boy in his arms to moan "No!" he whines but Robin is having none of it "I'll take him back to camp." Regina nods "Rose and I will clean up." And then he's marching off and out of sight with a limp Roland in his arms._

 _Regina looks back to Rose and sighs, she looks defeated and disappointed in herself and Regina hates that. Hates that she believes that her magic is only useful in times of danger. The last thing she wants is for her children to have to suppress any natural part of themselves. But it's what has to be done, because Regina isn't very good with her own, her mother and Rumplestiltskin aren't around and she wouldn't enlist them to help if they were, and Rose's magic has gotten stronger over the years. It was helpful that time Roland almost got attacked by the wild deer but it also gave Robin a bad bruise on his side the time they were playing and things got out of hand. So now Rose knows, only use your magic when you're absolutely sure something bad is happening to someone, and only use it when Mommy and Papa can't do anything to help._

 _She brushes a strand of curly brown hair from her face and smiles at her "What're you thinking?" Regina asks because she and Robin had been trying to incorporate more of a mutual understanding into their conversations since the twins had turned four and they couldn't understand if they didn't know what their kids were thinking. Rose shrugs "My magic is too strong and I'm too bad." She pouts and that has Regina pulling her closer "No you are not bad! You thought that Roland was in trouble so you did what we always tell you to do, you tried to protect him."_

 _Rose shakes her head "But even when I try to protect people someone gets hurt. Look, I hurt that poor tree." She points past Regina to the tree that lay still behind her "Well the good thing about trees…" Regina begins as she straightens out Rose's cape "is that if one falls over and no one is in the forest to see it or hear it, then no one will even know it fell. Plus, we can use the wood now for fire to keep warm and make food. We'll have enough tinder to keep warm for the rest of the fall season and maybe even the winter. You'll be a hero back at camp." Rose shrugs "I guess." She whispers._

 _Regina lifts her chin up and stares into her big blue eyes, the ones that go on for miles like Robin's "You are not bad. You are good. And your magic is too because you only use it to help people. Never to hurt. And I don't care how many trees you knock over, as long as you never use your magic for bad, you will always be." She kisses her gently then and stands up "Now let's get these toys up before it gets dark." She holds her hand out and Rose stands there for a second before taking it._

 _They finish up and make it back to camp just before sun down and by bedtime Rose and Roland are giggling and playing like normal. "Alright you two." Regina says as she bends down in front of the two of them, all dressed in their night gowns and sleeping caps "Time for bed." Roland groans in protest and Regina lifts one stern finger to silence him "You are just lucky that your father didn't send you to bed early like we'd agreed." Regina had been a little upset to find Roland and Robin back at camp playing around like nothing had happened, she'd thought that the little boy was plenty deserving of a fair punishment for using his sister the way he had and that Robin had just fallen victim to his pleas again. But when he'd run up to Rose the minute they'd gotten back and embraced her with a bear hug followed by a pretty sincere "I'm sorry, Rosey." Regina figured that he really did feel guilty. Her Roland was an open book, as transparent as glass and if he really meant something you could tell. Plus, Rose had forgiven him and they'd both run off before Regina could reinforce any punishments that'd been lifted, only returning at normal dinner time._

 _He nods "I said I was very sorry, mommy." And in an instant he is flashing Regina a deliberate 'I know I did something very bad but I'm too adorable to be punished harshly' look which he'd began using more frequently once he realized how much trouble he could get out of with it and it was beginning to get old. Regina shakes her head "I understand you're very sorry but I'm not sure you've learned your lesson." "I have! I promise I will never ever get Rose to use her magic ever again." Regina raises an eyebrow "Unless…" she prompts "Unless I am really hurt or in trouble." She sighs and nods, that was about the best promise she could get out of a four year old "But I just don't know why Rose can't use her magic all of the time. It's so cool, I wish I had some." He continues and Regina is about to reiterate what she's told the two of them time and time again when Rose begins to speak "Cause' I don't know how to use it that good and if I don't know how to use it then I could hurt somebody. That's why I'm only supposed to use it on the bad guys; they are the only people that need to get hurt." She looks at Regina now "If I use my magic to hurt only the bad guys then my magic is good. Right, Mommy?" Regina smiles and nods._

 _Rose's desperate need to be good is a relief for Regina. Her thirst for vengeance had almost turned her into a bad person and if it weren't for Robin she'd probably be just like her mother at this point so the fact that her twins naturally wanted to choose good over evil made her happy. Roland, despite his rebellious tendencies, had a heart of gold like his father and even with all of that power at her fingertips; Rose still chose to be good._

 _A lot of that was just because Robin and Regina tried every day to teach their children that good always wins and they were still very young, things could change, but just the fact that they were both starting on a path of light as opposed to darkness this young was a sign that they were both pure of heart and hopefully always would be._

"Robin!" Regina prods as she watches him poke his head from the side of Gold's shop where they hide.

No answer.

"Robin!" she says louder and that has him snapping his back and shushing her "No! Don't shush me! What the hell is going on!?" He takes one last peek around the corner before turning to her completely "Look I know you're confused and you don't really believe me but if we can just get it somehow then we can make it over the town line and you'll understand everything." She wasn't even a tad bit convinced that what Robin had said about her being Roland's mother was true and was starting to think that this was all a very elaborate trap set up by the villains. Maybe they'd done something to him, tortured him until he believed that Regina was the enemy, brainwashed him. She and Henry had watched that Divergent movie and stranger things had happened. She smiles sadly and places both hands on the side of Robin's face, searching his eyes for some sign of the real him "Oh, Robin. What have they done to you?" He's confused at first but then he takes her hands and pushes them away "Besides kidnapped me, nothing! I know you think I'm lying but I'm not!" "I'd never assume that. Liar? No. Crazy? Maybe just a little. But it's okay, they've obviously got you…" Robin cuts her off "I am not crazy! Everything I told you is true, I remember and you will too! I don't know why the villains kidnapped me or what they're planning and I don't care. My mission was to come and find you so that we can save our family!" he turns around again and grabs her hand, dragging her across the street and towards the library.

"We just need it and we can be in New York by dark." Regina stumbles behind him. Save their family from what? If Roland was really her son like he'd said and he was just a state over then what were they supposedly saving him from? He was safe with Marian and she'd evidently faked being his mother all those years, she could do it for another day or two. She stops walking "Wait." "No, Regina. No more waiting and no more questions. I told you we've got to get the scroll. I heard Cruella and Ursula talking about it, I'm not sure what it looks like but I think I might know where to find it. We have to keep moving anyways, time is precious." He tugs at her arm again but she doesn't move "No wait. They wouldn't just set you free, Robin. That doesn't make any sense. I mean, I wouldn't hold it past Cruella to make such an idiotic mistake but Maleficent knows better. They'd never just set you free unless they really did screw up or this is all part of their plan to use you for whatever reason, most likely to get to me. I don't think they've caught on that I'm undercover yet; I made a pretty convincing argument. And if you aren't under any sort of brainwashing spell like you claim then it has to be the latter. Did you hear or see anything before you left?" Robin shakes his head "They just said that they'd be back but not to wait up." Regina chews on her bottom lip and she's so worked up trying to sort everything out that she doesn't notice the villains all making their way towards the library from Gold's shop.

Robin grabs Regina's hand and pulls her back around the corner and covers her mouth when she tries to protest. "…don't understand how you could allow a person to escape. Are you honestly that much of an idiot!?" Gold snarls as they scurry across the street.

Robin uncovers Regina's mouth and looks to her "Looks like you really ought to have less faith in your friends." Regina sighs, if Cruella had allowed him to escape on accident then that meant that this wasn't some elaborate scheme to bust her and it gave them time to figure out what to do. "Okay, come we'll sort this out in a more private place." She turns to walk back towards the forest when Robin grabs her wrist and pulls her back towards him "No Regina we can't! This is vital; we need to get in there!" Regina scoffs "Great so we'll just sneak in and risk getting caught by the Dark One while he's at his angriest, blow my cover and probably get pulverized." Robin shrugs" We'll find a way past them, getting past the town line is more important than all of this. We need that scroll!" Regina chuckles "Well you won't find it in there. I have it; it's back in my vault." Robin's eyes light up and he steps closer to her "Why didn't you tell me that sooner!? Take us there." She rolls her eyes but in less than a second they disappear in a cloud of purple smoke.

Regina leans against the wall and watches as Robin searches aimlessly around her vault for the scroll cursing under his breath all the while. Eventually, when he realizes that she isn't helping him but just staring as he makes a fool of himself, he stops "So are you going to just sit and watch?" Regina shrugs her shoulders "Are you going to tell me why this is so urgent?" Robin glares at her and the desperation, the panic in his eyes is a telltale sign that something really is wrong. She'd seen it earlier when he'd tried to tell her that they needed to get into the library, it was the reason that she'd brought them to her vault in the first place. "Regina, please." He says as his eyes soften and he walks towards her "The scroll, please?" she looks down at her feet and stares at the ground before taking her hand from behind her back and showing him the scroll. She looks back at him and a little of that panic has faded as he reaches for it. She closes her hand "Why is this so urgent, Robin?" she asks again. Robin sighs and looks away "I can't tell you, not yet. If I tell you then you may never come with me. You'll never want to. There were parts of me that wanted to forget once I regained my memories and if I tell you now then you'll never want to remember either." He looks to her again and takes her hands into his own "Regina you have to believe me, you have to trust me." He's searching her eyes now for some sort of sign "My love, please." And this causes her to raise an eyebrow because Robin had always been affectionate towards her in that way, in their short time together he'd shown adoration in the form of pet names all of the time but this time he says it like he's been saying it for years. For decades. And it sounds like something she's been hearing for just as long.

She is stunned for a moment and he waits for her to say something – do something. She looks down at his hands wrapped around her wrists, pry's one free and gives him the scroll "I trust you." She whispers. And then he is kissing her, for the first time in six weeks and he's kissing her like perhaps it's been longer. Years. Decades. And it's slow but so needy and he's fisting her hair and running his fingers through it with desperation and Regina thinks that maybe she should get him to continue. That maybe if they find themselves the way they had that first time in the vault then they can forget about this. They'll eventually go and get Roland but what's the rush when they haven't been able to touch and kiss and be near one another for six weeks? He is with Marian, he is fine. But then she remembers the way Robin had been panicking all day and that whatever he needs her to remember requires her attention as soon as possible and she's starting to believe him even though she doesn't know what she's believing in. So she is the one to pull away and then she is the one leading him to her car as soon as she informs the Charming's that she needs to leave. They know all that is required of them to know, as much as she can tell them really; Robin is in Storybrooke, they need to go back to New York to get Roland, she's put some distractions in place to hold the villains off for a day or two and that no matter what, Henry must be protected. Emma of course tries to convince her not to go and then tries to convince her to let her and Henry come along but she tells them no, leaving them all in Storybrooke with Gold and the others might be dangerous but whatever is across the town line is meant for her and Robin and her and Robin alone. And then of course Emma and the Charming's are asking how she knows she can trust him and she tells them that she just can. That she knows that she has to go and do this.

So they end up leaving and they cross the town line with no problem. Regina feels the same as she did, no new memories of Robin and Roland and a family that once was crowd her mind. Then again he did say it takes a while. They drive down the dark road in silence and Regina glances over at Robin; he is clutching the scroll like if he lets it go it will fly away from him. "Be careful, if you damage the scroll we'll never be able to get back to Storybrooke." This has him loosening his grip but he still stares straight ahead. "How long did you say it took you to regain your memories again?" She asks mostly to try and get him to talk but also because she's genuinely curious. He looks at her and then back ahead "Uh, a couple of hours, maybe." "Well it's been a couple of hours. Robin, I know I said I believed you but maybe I just…" and before she can finish speaking she is hit with a rush of white that blinds her vision and has her slamming her foot on the brakes.

And just like that she remembers.

Her and Robin fleeing King Leopold's castle. Their wedding in the forest. The cave. Roland. Rosalie. _Everything._

She puts the car in park slowly and turns to Robin who is looking at her strangely. And he looks so different, the same but different. Her Robin, her love. She'd been with him this entire time and hadn't even known it. She'd been without him for much longer and had no clue.

And to think she thought six weeks was long.

"Robin," she whispers as tears trickle down the side of her face. And all of that confusion and a lot of the panic fade from his eyes and he is practically jumping over the seat once he realizes she remembers "Regina!" and they are embracing and it's uncomfortable but it doesn't matter because Regina is in the arms of her soul mate once again, and he doesn't quite smell the way he did all those years ago but she decides she doesn't care because it's _him_. She is so sure of that now.

They both want to stay there forever but there are so many questions, so many things that need sorting and the position that they're in is growing unbearable. She pulls away first but only enough so that she can look him in his eyes, he is crying a little too "Robin." She whispers again as she runs her finger tips across his face. Tracing every feature, every bump, mole, scar. He smiles and she sees her Roland and she is suddenly so eager to actually see him and she remembers him a little from Storybrooke but not as someone that she knew, not as her child. She looks at him, stares at his eyes and they are still so deep, so blue and she is seeing Rose now and…

"Rose." She panics "Rose, oh my goodness Robin where is Rose!? What happened to her, is she with you!? Did you find her!? Please tell me she's alright." She begs and now her happy tears are manic as she begins to put the car back in drive. Robin stops her. "Regina, wait, you can't drive like this. You need to calm down." She allows him to put the car back into park and this time it is her turn to stare aimlessly out into the darkness "What happened to our Rosalie, Robin?" she asks again.

"I don't know, love. It's the reason I couldn't tell you about her back in Storybrooke, I don't know." Regina shakes her head and buries her face into her steering wheel. She can feel his hand on her back and suddenly their reunion isn't so joyful, suddenly she does want to forget again. "She's gone." Regina says as she lets out another sob "we've lost her." And that has Robin pulling her up by her shoulders and turning her to face him "She is not gone. I know I said I don't know what's happened to her but I also know that we will find her. I can feel her…" he takes his hand and places it over heart "She is with us Regina, we just needed to remember. And now we do and now we go find her." Regina sniffles "How can we find her if we don't remember anything that happened after we were attacked? It's been so long, how can we be sure that she's survived all this time?" She hates to be a pessimist, to think that her little girl didn't make it but to be optimistic in that moment feels almost impossible.

"Because," Robin has his hands on either side of her face now and he is staring into her eyes with his eyes, Rose's eyes "We promised that we'd come back for them and Rose of all people knows that we'd never make a promise to her that we couldn't keep."


End file.
